Tips for buying fashion online

Finding the perfect mooky style for the best price is a constant adventure. The internet is an awesome source of alternative clothing and accessories, but do you know how to be a savvy shopper?

Go With Your Gut

You can tell the quality of a site’s service simply from the look of their webpage. Visible code, bad quality pictures and terrible grammar are all bad signs. Turning up at an online store is like walking through a shop’s front door. If all you see is a rummage rack then walk away.

Read The Small Print

Big promises can catch your eye, but always read the small print. A site that proclaims it has all of a certain range in stock may be stretching the truth. Read the terms and conditions. An online store that has what you want in their warehouse should take no longer than a few days to dispatch. If it normally takes 1-2 weeks to even leave the site’s premises, then the chances are it’s not there in the first place.

Know Your Rights

Every country has different laws pertaining to online purchases. In the UK, the Distance Selling Regulations are all about protecting the buyer. So what are the basics?

No Quibble Refunds and Exchanges – If you receive an item from an online store, you can return the item for any reason within seven days as long as the item is in a fit condition to be sold: unworn with tags attached and packaging included if not intact.

Delivery Costs  If an item is not to your taste, you can expect the cost of delivering the purchase to you to be included in the refund, but you have to bear the cost of returning the item. Use recorded post to protect you from the unscrupulous sellers. If an item is faulty, you can ask for all postage costs to be refunded.

Very few exceptions – There are only a few types of item that you can’t send back, and they’re fairly sensible. Perishable things like flowers can’t be returned, and neither can anything that’s been personalised. It’s got your name on, after all!

Notice What’s Missing?

Pierced Jewellery. Despite what all the shops say, if you buy pierced jewellery online and you and the seller are UK residents, you can return it. However, you might have to stand your ground. Follow these tips to make sure you’re prepared for the fight.

Before buying, check how the jewellery is packaged. Ask if you have to. Pierced jewellery should be in a bag that is transparent on one or both sides with some form of tamper seal. This means you can get a good look at the jewellery without breaking into it. If you don’t like the earrings, you can send them back in their sealed packet for a refund, and the law will fall on your side.

If earrings are packaged in a manner where it is impossible to tell if they have been worn or not, you should think twice before making the purchase. Firstly, there’s no way to tell if they’ve been worn by someone else and then returned (Gross!) and no protection for you as a buyer.

If you have tried on the pierced jewellery, then you should think twice before trying to return it . If any seals present on the packaging are broken, then while you may initially get a refund, you might find yourself in the small claims courts for returning an item unfit for resale and potentially hazardous to the health of others.

If the seller refuses a refund for an online purchase (including unworn pierced jewellery), or you want more information, then get in touch with trading standards (or the Federal Trade Commission in the USA). The process might be slow going, but sometimes it’s the least stressful way to resolve a purchase dispute.

The Internet is the best source of unique, attractive items from all over the world, and if you know your rights as a buyer, you can get some truly excellent deals. Happy shopping!

GlitterGoth stocks an ever-growing range of genuine Alchemy Gothic jewellery from the “1977” and “Empire” Collections. Their stock includes all manner of accessories, as well as Alchemy Gothic necklaces, chokers, pendants, lockets and more.